Midnight Unbound Read online

  It was a beautiful evening in Potenza. Cool and breezy, the rolling vineyard hills and soft, cool grass of the lawn beneath his bare feet cast in the mystical blue of twilight. He inhaled the scent of turned, fertile earth and sweet Aglianico grapes.

  The scent of home.

  Pietro’s giggles as Scythe sent him on another ride on the swing only fortified his contentment. And then there was Chiara.

  “You two better think about coming in soon. The movie is about to start.”

  His mate’s voice washed over him like soothing summer rain.

  He turned and waved to her where she rocked in her own swing on the porch. A light shawl covered her shoulders, and her rich brown hair was piled in a loose bun on top of her head. His blood pulsed with desire. With love so deep it made him shake with the urge to cross the lawn and sweep her off to bed with him.

  Would he ever tire of having her?

  His pulse responded with a resounding, “Never.”

  “We’ll be right in,” he called back to her with a smile.

  “One more push, Papa, please?” Pietro pleaded.

  Scythe squeezed his eyes closed, his throat going tight. When they had returned to the vineyard from Rome and Pietro had learned that Scythe would be staying with them from then on, the little boy had gone very quiet. Chiara had explained that she and Scythe were mated, and that now they would be a family.

  Pietro had been confused. “What do I call him?” he’d asked. Chiara handled it beautifully and with the utmost grace, as she did most things. She’d told her son that he should call him Scythe, and, then, perhaps someday, if he wanted to choose another name to call Scythe, he could do that when he was ready.

  It had only been a week ago that Pietro had announced he didn’t want to call him Scythe anymore, but he’d already had one father, and he was gone now. The boy thought what he could really use was a Papa. Would Scythe want to be his Papa?

  Scythe had been moved more deeply than he thought possible. Hell, he still hadn’t quite come to terms with it. After all the loss and suffering he’d known, this family was healing him more every day.

  How strange that only a few short months ago, he’d viewed bonding and growing attached to others as a form of slavery... just another chain to hold him down, to weaken him. But the truth was, Chiara and her young son had set him free.

  They had given his life meaning.

  Soon, he would have one more reason to be grateful to his lovely, remarkable Chiara.

  He couldn’t keep his gaze from straying to her as she got up from the porch swing and stood. Her hand rested lovingly atop the bump of her belly where their child was growing. Her smile reached out to Scythe, bridging the distance. Calling him home to the heaven that awaited him inside the villa with her.

  “Come on, Papa! One more time, please?”

  Scythe scrubbed his hand through his short beard, then grabbed hold of Pietro’s swing. “All right, son. But you’d better hang on tight. This time, you’re going to touch the clouds.”

  * * * * *

  Thank you for reading Midnight Unbound. I hope you enjoyed it!

  If you liked this book—or any of my other titles—please consider posting your thoughts at your favorite retailer or on Goodreads, even if it’s just a line or two.

  Your ratings and reviews help other readers discover my books and find new favorites, and of course there is no better nor more appreciated support for an author than word of mouth recommendations from happy readers!

  The Hunters are coming!

  Presenting an all-new Midnight Breed spinoff series you won’t want to miss…

  The Hunter Legacy Series

  Born of Darkness

  Coming Winter 2017

  Thrilling standalone vampire romances from Lara Adrian set in the Midnight Breed story universe.

  For information on this series and more, visit:

  www.LaraAdrian.com

  * * * * *

  Next up in the Midnight Breed Series

  Look for these upcoming books coming soon

  Claimed in Shadows

  Summer 2017

  * * * * *

  Midnight Unleashed

  October 2017

  * * * * *

  Sign up for Lara’s VIP Reader List to get notified of these upcoming releases, and to be eligible for subscribers-only promotions and exclusive content.

  http://bit.ly/LaraAdrianNews

  * * * * *

  Available now in the Midnight Breed Series

  If this was your first taste of the Midnight Breed series, there are many more stories for you to enjoy. Scroll down for the series reading order and purchase links.

  (click or tap the title to purchase)

  Paranormal Romances

  The Midnight Breed Series

  A Touch of Midnight (prequel novella)

  3-book Midnight Breed Starter Bundle

  Kiss of Midnight

  Kiss of Crimson

  Midnight Awakening

  Midnight Rising

  Veil of Midnight

  Ashes of Midnight

  Shades of Midnight

  Taken by Midnight

  Deeper than Midnight

  A Taste of Midnight (novella)

  Darker after Midnight

  The Midnight Breed Series Companion

  ~ ~ Midnight Breed - The New Generation ~ ~

  Edge of Dawn

  Marked by Midnight (novella)

  Crave the Night

  Tempted by Midnight (novella)

  Bound to Darkness

  Stroke of Midnight (novella)

  Defy the Dawn

  Midnight Untamed

  Midnight Unbound (novella)

  Claimed in Shadows (Summer 2017)

  Midnight Unleashed (novella, October 2017)

  …and more to come!

  * * * * *

  Other books by Lara Adrian

  (click book titles for purchase info/links)

  Contemporary Romance

  100 Series (billionaire erotic romance)

  For 100 Days

  For 100 Nights

  For 100 Reasons

  Masters of Seduction Series

  Merciless: House of Gravori

  Priceless: House of Ebarron

  Phoenix Code Series (with Tina Folsom)

  Cut and Run

  Hide and Seek

  Historical Romances

  Dragon Chalice Series

  Heart of the Hunter ~ FREE for a limited time!

  Heart of the Flame

  Heart of the Dove

  Dragon Chalice Boxed Set

  Warrior Trilogy

  White Lion’s Lady

  Black Lion’s Bride

  Lady of Valor

  Warrior Trilogy Boxed Set

  Standalone Titles

  Lord of Vengeance

  MatchUp Anthology

  (featuring Lara’s short story, Midnight Flame)

  * * * * *

  Subscribe to Lara Adrian’s VIP Reader List

  If you would like to hear about all of my new releases, PLUS be eligible for special subscribers-only exclusive content and giveaways you won’t find anywhere else, please sign up for my VIP Reader list at:

  http://bit.ly/LaraAdrianNews

  About the Author

  LARA ADRIAN is a New York Times and #1 internationally best-selling author, with nearly 4 million books in print worldwide and translations licensed to more than 20 countries. Her books regularly appear in the top spots of all the major bestseller lists including the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Indiebound, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, etc. Reviewers have called Lara’s books “addictively readable” (Chicago Tribune), “extraordinary” (Fresh Fiction), and “one of the best on the market” (Romantic Times).

  Writing as TINA ST. JOHN, her historical romances have won numerous awards including the National Readers Choice; Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer’s Choice; Booksellers Best; and many others. She was twice named a
Finalist in Romance Writers of America’s RITA Awards, for Best Historical Romance (White Lion’s Lady) and Best Paranormal Romance (Heart of the Hunter). More recently, the German translation of Heart of the Hunter debuted on Der Spiegel bestseller list.

  With an ancestry stretching back to the Mayflower and the court of King Henry VIII, the author lives with her husband in Florida.

  Visit the author’s website and sign up for new release announcements at http://bit.ly/LaraAdrianNews

  Connect online at:

  www.LaraAdrian.com

  www.facebook.com/LaraAdrianBooks

  https://www.instagram.com/laraadrianbooks/

  www.twitter.com/lara_adrian

  www.goodreads.com/lara_adrian

  www.pinterest.com/LaraAdrian

  * * * * *

  COPYRIGHT

  Midnight Unbound

  © 2017 by Lara Adrian, LLC

  Cover design © 2017 by CrocoDesigns

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-939193-17-9

  Print ISBN: 978-1-939193-18-6

  All rights reserved. No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from Author.

  www.LaraAdrian.com

  Available in ebook and trade paperback. unabridged audiobook edition forthcoming.